5.08.2006

"What was your best moment as president?"

"I think the best time was probably dealing with the Middle East issue at Camp David and even better I think was the peace treaty that came along six months later. I made a very difficult decision over the almost unanimous opposition of my cabinet and my staff to take the initiative and to go to Egypt and to go to Israel to try to get Begin and Sadat to agree on a peace treaty. And when they did sign, both of them signed the agreement, I guess that was probably my best moment."-Jimmy Carter

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"So many things have happened here at home that have been important to me; passing economic plan, passing the Brady Bill and assault weapons ban, so many things have happened internationally, the role that I was fortunate to be able to play in the peace process in the Middle East and in Northern Ireland, but this could have the biggest long-term positive consequences if we do it right. But frankly, I hadn't, you know -- Sometimes people say "do you feel vindicated?" The answer is no. I think America has been vindicated. I think what we stand for has been vindicated. But keep in mind that there have been times in the past where people win a conflict and then squander the peace. So a lot of our work is still ahead of us. We've gotta get the people home, get the land mines up, work out the details of who is involved in the peacekeeping mission. We have to get this -- We've got to organize police forces and civil government for the Kosovars. And then the really big thing over the long-run, our European friends want to take the lead in this but we ought to help them, we've got to get the World Bank and all these other people involved in a development plan for the Balkans that involves not just Kosovo, but Macedonia, Albania, Bulgaria, Romania, and I hope someday Serbia if they have a government that respects freedom and democracy and human rights. So that these people have something pulling them together instead of these ancient ethnic troubles pulling them apart.

Now if we get all that done, it might be perhaps the most satisfying thing because it might prove that people can lay down their hatreds of people who are different. You know, I basically think free people will figure out a way to make the most of their lives and work out their problems if they can get the rules of engagement right. That's why I gave somewhat of an extended answer to what you said about the Republicans. Because, I think, you know, differences are good. Nobody's got the whole truth. But you gotta get the rules of engagement right. And I think what we did in Kosovo was profoundly important."-Bill Clinton

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"You know, I've experienced many great moments and it's hard to name the best. I would say the best moment of all was when I caught a 7.5 pound perch in my lake."-Dubya

Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, Yasser Arafat, was a terrorist until his death. Probably one of the most notable things Clinton achieved during his administration was the completion of the Oslo Accords in 1993, where Yasser Arafat and the terrorist PLO were rewarded for their prior terrorist activities with a series of concessions from Israel, and Israel was in turn granted simple pledges of peace from the PLO and its newly spawned Palestinian Authority, along with their acknowledgement that Israel even had a right to exist. The concessions from Israel were all delivered. Peace from the PLO and PA never materialized except for a brief cease fire, Hamas has since taken control of the PA, and the true position of the Palestinian leaders is now official PA policy: that Israel must be destroyed.

Israel remained true to Oslo, and to later agreements negotiated with PA and Arafat through Clinton. Whenever Israel even hinted at truly retaliating for the PA's breaking of every agreement, the Clinton administration pandered to Arafat and condemnded Israel, giving Arafat reprise from justice for his terrorist activity, and milking more and more concessions from Israel as punishment for being terrorized.

I doubt you will be enlightened by any of this, truth to power and all that.